April Newsletter - Constituency Business

Earlier in the month I held a public meeting on the future of Scotland post Brexit with panellists Simon Pia and Nicola McEwan. Thanks to them for joining me and to all those who came along - there was a great turn out and some very useful discussions. Interestingly, a significant proportion who had voted No in the last Indy ref would now vote Yes or were at least open-minded.

Last weekend I attended and spoke at the pro EU march to mark 60 years of the European Movement. On the same day I joined the Anti-Fascist demo to counter the White Pride gathering – their gathering actually turned out to be around 20 folk and a dug but the strong opposition showed that our city will not tolerate these extreme right wing views.

The local council elections are just around the corner - it's your chance to have your say on who runs Edinburgh. But to have a say you need to be registered to vote. You've got until 17th April to register and remember that 16/17 year-olds and EU nationals can vote in this election. Register here.

I spoke at a public meeting on Fracking in Portobello and attended the a beacon of solidarity on Porty beach against fracking in Norway. As you may be aware, there is currently a consultation being run by the Scottish Government. You can take part here. I’ve also made my responses available on my website if you’d like to know exactly what I think.

I had the pleasure of speaking to the Save the Children student union group at Edinburgh University. We had a great discussion about the role they can play in political activism and the current state of play in Westminster.

Earlier in the month I visited ERI to meet Dr Alastair MacGilchrist, a Consultant Gastroenterologist who is working with the Health Alliance to raise awareness of alcohol-related liver disease. Professionals like Alastair are at the sharp end. They see daily what alcohol does to people and I really appreciated him taking the time to share his work with me. Find out more here.

And finally, if you’ve not tried the beers from the local team at Bellfield Brewery I’d highly recommend it. They’re doing a brilliant job with their gluten free beer – their Bohemian Pilsner won 'Gold' & IPA 'Bronze' in the Free From Food Awards 2017!

About the author

Born in Coleraine, Northern Ireland in 1959, Tommy was educated at a local grammar school and, equipped with the requisite A levels, moved to Scotland to study medicine at Aberdeen University. He graduated with a degree in politics and sociology – the start of a lifelong interest in politics.

He returned to Scotland in 1993 and established the Stand Comedy Club in 1995, which he started as a hobby and built into a successful business. Tommy lives in Minto Street with his partner Kate and cocker spaniel Henry.

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